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Ballet training4 minutes
Executing plie and releve correctly: Gentle on the joints for adults
By Bernhard De LucaUpdated
- Correct plié technique requires the knees to point exactly over the center of the feet.
- The outward rotation must always begin in the hips and must not be forced through the feet.
- During a relevé, the ankles must remain stably upright and must not buckle inward or outward.
- The ballet barre serves only as a light balance aid when stepping up and down, not for pulling yourself up.
If you start ballet at a mature age, you are often looking for the perfect balance between aesthetics and health. Precise training at the barre protects your joints from strain and gives you new strength.
What you need for training
- Flat ballet slippers with split suede soles
- A sturdy ballet barre or a stable chair back as a substitute
- A non-slip surface like parquet or a gymnastics mat
- Basic understanding of the first and second foot positions
Why the correct axis direction protects your joints
Classical ballet for adults is not about extreme ambition, but about precision and your own well-being. If you want to combine elegant arms in ballet with stable footwork, you must master the foundation. An uncontrolled plié, where the knees collapse inward, or a wobbly relevé on unstable ankles place massive strain on the musculoskeletal system. The solution lies in a conscious outward rotation that begins in the hips and is not forced in the feet. When you learn to activate your deep muscles in the pelvis, you noticeably relieve your joints and create the basis for fluid movements in space.
Step by step to clean execution
Setting up turnout from the hip
Stand upright at the barre and align your pelvis neutrally. Engage your inner thighs and rotate your legs out from the hip only as far as you can maintain without pain in your knees.
Initiate the demi-plié with control
Bend your knees slowly while keeping your heels firmly in contact with the floor. Pay meticulous attention to ensuring your kneecaps point exactly over your second toe to relieve the ligaments in your knee.
Return upright to the top
Push yourself back up using the strength of your soles and thighs, without completely locking your knees at the highest point. The upward movement should feel like a gentle resistance.
Lift the relevé straight up
Lift your heels off the floor in a controlled manner by increasing the pressure on the balls of your big and second toes. Keep your ankles absolutely stable and do not let them collapse outward.
Lowering gently and in a controlled manner
Lower your heels slowly and with resistance back to the floor, as if you were gliding through thick honey. Absorb your weight softly to protect your joints upon landing.
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That is how
- Bend your knees exactly in the direction of your toes
- Gently rotate your turnout from the hip joint
- Lift into relevé using active calf and foot muscles
- Use the barre only as a light support for your balance
Don't do this
- Letting your knees fall inward while bending
- Forcing your feet outward on the floor
- Bouncing upward with momentum and twisting your ankles
- Pulling yourself up on the bar with all your strength
Your checklist for joint-friendly training
Before the exercise
Preparation
During the plié
Meanwhile
During relevé
Meanwhile
Frequently Asked Questions
A plié is gentle on the knees when the knees point exactly over the second and third toes throughout the entire bend. In addition, the buttocks must not shift backward, as this puts too much strain on the kneecaps.
To strengthen your ankles for a relevé, actively push your heels forward as you lift and maintain contact with your big toe. This prevents the feet from dangerously sickling and stabilizes the ligaments in the ankle.
A gentle start is best achieved in the first or second foot position, as the turnout can be controlled more easily here. The fifth position requires a great deal of hip opening and should be avoided at the beginning.
Read more
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